Recent years have seen an increase in public awareness and concern over environmental issues, particularly the prospect of global warming resulting from increased carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. One possible approach to combat global warming is to plant more trees and other plants, thereby providing a replenished means for carbon dioxide absorption from the atmosphere. Planting trees and other plants may also contribute to the health of the environment by reducing pollution and soil erosion and replenishing wildlife habitat.
Growing trees or other plants from seed is not always a simple task. When seeds are planted directly into soil, cold or heat, herbivorous insects, rodents, birds, etc, may prevent successful seed germination and seedling growth. As a result, techniques have evolved to plant seeds in separate containers and then transplant germinated seeds or seedlings into soil when conditions become more favorable. To successfully germinate seeds, nurture them to seedlings and then transplant the seedlings into soil often requires considerable skill and experience.
There is a general desire to provide techniques for facilitating the germination of seeds and growth of seedlings.